whats up. I am 21, I've been a solo artist around west palm beach fl for the last 3 years. I love playing Clapton, Mayer, Chapman, Dave Matthews to but I really want to take my guitar playing to the next level and learn to play like my heros, I was hoping you could comment and maybe share some advice about lead, theory, using different modes and how to use scales creatively so that it doesn't sound like you're just playing a scale over some guitar chords you know.

I would really appreciate the help you guys and thanks again for everything
~fenderbender23

ps. I was watching the crossroads guitar festival and have also been playing with a guitarist who destroys me at lead. so you can feel my pain haha

Tough question, I've been playing guitar since I was at school I'm 50+ now and still not become the guitar god I dreamt about, some days are bliss others not so, I guess it all comes down to practice in the end, putting in the repetition until you're satisfied, listen to recordings and adjusting your playing till you hit that sweet spot, some guys are naturals, others it's a long slog, you could pick 20 of the top lead guitar players around and everyone will sound great but different, have a listen to Joe Bonamassa in the guitar lessons ( advanced) talking about vibrato, muting, phrasing etc, then youtube any guitarist you like and study them there's a multitude of styles out there all for the borrowing off
JB lesson and others under the "community" header when you sign in

Ripitup, gives good advice. Everything he sais is true. I might add that, No mater how hard you try to emulate someone else, your going to find an easier way for yourself. Don't be afraid to do it your way. It's the only way you will develop your own style of playing. Pick a player and borrow all you can. Listen to them over and over. It's like learning to read, first comes the reading skill. Then as things get easier, comes the Expression. That's the tough part, it all comes from within your heart and soul. It comes natural to some and others need to work on it. Something that has always helped me is Listening to the old original rhythm and blues sounds of early 20Th century American life. I call them the field sounds of folks as they worked, on the farm, chain gang or rail rode. A lot of this old music can be found on you tube .thanks to the library of congress and others. Most every chant you here could be a blues song and many are. One line I will never forget is " I DONT WANT NO SUGAR IN MY COFFE, IT MAKES ME MEEN". It comes from an old field chant of men at work. Have an adventure within your own soul, as you develop your talent.
----Danny,

Practice...practice...practice....learn every scale that you can,phrase your solos like you were singing the lines,play clean as much as you can because it lets you know where you're messing up...and work on it with a passion.
One thing about it,if you get to the point to where you think you're a fantastic guitarist,you've let your guard down,and it's gone to your head....stay humble and never stop learning.

+1

Thats some darn good advice. Ive fallen foul of that myself in the past and being knocked on my backside by seeing someone SO much better than me, or joining a band that isnt in my comfort zone and realising i was just resting on my laurels is a sure fire way to splash some water on your face

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`I prefer not to listen to music that I can't rip off or improve on` - Ian Dury

That's right ollyclam,I've done it too,currently I've been playing with my youngest son and his band,he wears me out...he tells everybody I taught him everything he knows and that's just being nice,because he can do alot that I can't.
I told him and his older brother a long time ago that there's always somebody better.

Some people are born to the guitar - the rest of us just muddle and struggle to find our way. I've been playing (and singing) since 1963 and though I don't mind the way I sound, I knew a long time ago that I would never be the Next Big Thing. I've been in bands most of my life, made some good money doing it (helped pay for most of the diverse inventory I've collected through the years) and I've had a lot of fun doing it all. My wife and kids and friends think I put on a damn good show - that's enough for me.

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Dennis in CR
Rockin' since 1963

To be honest, the only way you can become like them is to sit in your room for hours on end, grinding the flesh from your fingers until they calice, then wearing the calices off. I did it when i was a beginner and I still practice quite a bit. Not as hard as that though. I did it until I was bleeding/had a heavy groove worn across my fingers. I just wrapped em in boxing tape and kept playing.

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1984 Squier Contemporary Stratocaster
1986 Peavey Envoy 110
1967 Kingston Acoustic

Learn or write four great solos, then learn how to play them in every different key. Repeat. Repeat again.

By the time you've learned or written twenty solos (and learned how to play them in every key, you've developed your own style and you can sit in with just about anybody...then keep on doing the same thing, learn a few more solos and how to play them in every key.

In the meantime, learn some different techniques (slide, fingerstyle, etc.), too, and blend that into the mix.

I did this on harp (harmonica), and it's still a work in progress on guitar...but it's gotten got the point that I can jam with most people, even with my limited skills.

I never really worried about or tried to copy anybody note-for-note; I figured developing my own style was better than ripping off someone else's.

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Good Vibes To Y'all!



Screamin' Armadillos
Texas Roadhouse Music
Guitar/Slide Guitar/Harp/Vocals

Play with as many different people as you can. You learn from others. Sitting in your room will get you no where. Its all about inspiration. Other people will push you to your limits. Theres a time when you have to quite practicing and start playing.

In a couple of weeks I'll be 58 and I've been playing seriously since 12.There are no books or magic lessons that really can compare to good old fashioned practice ,if you already know your scales and basic theory all that's left is practice and repetition until they are all second nature.Jamming with people who are into different genres could also open up a lot of new ideas and possibilities too.

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'65 Strat,65 Mustang,65 Jaguar,4 more Strats,3 vintage Vox guitars,5 Vox amps,'69 Bassman with a '68 2-15 Bassman cab,36 guitars total-15asst'd amps total,2 vintage '60s Hammond organs & a myriad of effects-with a few rare vintage ones.

As far as learning to use scales so they don't sound like scales you have to master intervals. The great Howard Roberts (you should know of him, if not google him and get some of his records) advised practicing the five positions of the major scale but doing it in all intervals, from seconds all the way up to playing the scale in octaves. This starts teaching your ear to hear other intervals and not to run scales mindlessly. Now when you get up to 5ths and 6ths and beyond this becomes really hard!

So you would do this starting in C and take it throught the cycle of fourths until you get back where you started.

It's a lot of work but it not only trains your ear you learn the neck better.

Another thing is studying the transcripts of master players. I'm studying a transcript book of Jazz great Johnny Smith's solos. So many things reveal themselves when you do that kind of study. It may be beyond where you want to go if you're just into Rock or so but it expands your mind and your fingers. To benefit from books like that you have to be able to read music though. A lot of Jazz transcripts frown on tablature, and well they should as it doesn't indicate proper musical phrasing. Another good reason to learn to read music.

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Luck won't do it and ignorance can't

George Van Eps.